Long Beach cloudy, rainy for pro surfers

The slate gray sky and spitting rain provided an odd backdrop for world-class surfing.

But the ocean swells were "kicking," as they say, Tuesday -- at least enough for 35 of the world's best surfers to dig through Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro New York on the Long Beach shore.

Balaram Stack, the 20-year-old rising star from Point Lookout, tried some risky maneuvers but ultimately turned in a disappointing performance in front of his home crowd. He scored only a 6.07 in his heat, the day's second-lowest score, but knows it was only a trial before the elimination rounds begin Wednesday.

"It was fun," Stack said. "Having everyone cheer me on -- having everybody screaming at stuff, it was pretty cool.''

Stack, who grew up surfing between those very jetties in front of the Allegria Hotel, will compete in the first heat of round two at 7 a.m.

Each of Tuesday's's 12 heats lasted 35 minutes -- a prolonged period to allow the surfers enough time to find five or six solid waves to ride. Early in the morning, those breaks were hard to find. The swells improved as the day wore on.

But the 2- to 4-foot waves were a test for even the most distinguished surfers.

"The waves are a little small, so it's tough," said 10-time world champion Kelly Slater, whose heat began around 10 a.m. "But it's the first round and no one loses, and the swell should be building."

Slater leads the ASP World Title rankings and, at 39, is trying to enhance his legacy as pro surfing's Great One. The conditions in New York weren't quite like Tahiti -- where Slater won at Teahupo'o last week -- but he said they reminded him of winter weather in Cocoa Beach, Fla., his hometown.

"It feels like home," Slater said. "It's way harder to surf small waves because you can't make a mistake and recover. If you're just a little off, it shows."

Josh Kerr, 27, of Australia, scored the day's highest round with an 18.57. "I think we all had fun out there," he said.

Competition organizers are hoping the swells improve as the week continues, and announcers spoke of Hurricane Katia working its way up the East Coast like a wave-producing ally -- as long as it stays far enough offshore.

Several hundred spectators braved the persistent rain and chilly temperatures. These were hardly the picturesque conditions New Yorkers were expecting for the region's first professional surfing competition.

But with three full days left, there is hope that the tide will turn.

"I know that hurricane swell is out there," Slater said. "So we'll just see what happens."